Yami no Ai
by brown phantom
Summary: NEW POLL! Everyone's got a dark side. It's always hidden from the conscience mind and yet still existent. Sakura's darker side is now loose, and it knows what it wants and is on the move to get it. Could this be a good thing? Or is this going to lead to her downfall? NaruSakuHarem.
1. The Headache

**Chapter 1: The Headache**

"Ugh... not again." Sakura said in pain as she woke up with yet another headache. "When are these things going to go away?" She added as she got out of bed.

By the time she was in the shower it had died down, but the repetition of the nighttime headaches had reached her last nerve. "Every night with this. When did these start again?" She tried to remember the first time these had started. As a trained medic she tried hard to keep track of her own health to notice the beginning signs of anything wrong with herself.

"I think it was after we encountered Orochimaru and Sasuke-kun." She thought out loud, only to feel a sudden painful pulse across her temples making her wince. "Yeah, and it's been a week since then. I should see Tsunade-shishou today. Maybe I contracted something there."

She got dried and dressed, then headed outside towards the Hokage Tower. Being the Hokage's apprentice, she was one of those that didn't have to make appointments to see the Hokage so she walked right into Tsunade's office.

The slug sannin was going thru some vital paperwork but not enjoying it, so she welcomed this small excuse for a momentary distraction. "Is something wrong Sakura?"

"Shishou, could you give me a quick check-up? I've been having terrible headaches each morning I wake up and at random times during the day. It's probably nothing but I'd like to make sure it really is nothing. Worst case scenario, somehow I got infected with something when we were at Orochimaru's base last week and who knows what that can do."

Needing no more reason than that, Tsunade was up and examining her second student carefully, trying to locate any discomfort in her cranium. She checked for three minutes just to be sure.

"Sakura, I don't see anything physically wrong here. No traces of chemicals, no irritant, no injury or signs of trauma or infection. The only unusual thing is that your body temperature is slightly higher than normal. Not exactly feverish, but above normal. It's possible you've just got a weak disease and little more. If you want I can take you off the work schedule for the next twenty-four hours to give you a chance to get it out of your system."

"I'm already off today so it wouldn't be any different." Sakura replied.

"Good timing then, or maybe not. Getting sick on a day off is sort of a double-edge sword if you know what I mean." Tsunade stated. Sakura nodded. "Just try to relax, and tomorrow if you're still out of it let me know before you head to work. And say hi to Naruto for me if you can. I hear he's trying himself into exhaustion right now."

Sakura felt a new sensation throb in her head but this time it was pleasant, not painful. "Might as well since I've got nothing else to do. Where is he?"

"Last I heard outside the village working on elemental manipulation. I doubt you'd miss him if you knew what to look for, and since it is Naruto I'm sure you know what to expect."

Sakura felt the strange sensation again but ignored it and nodded. "You're right. Thanks Shishou." She then left the office.

Once outside Sakura paused for a bit to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, something she didn't get too much of working in a hospital all day. "What did I do the last time I had a day off anyway? I did think about seeing Ino for a bit but that can't take all day." After a moment she shrugged and started walking off. "I'll think of something for after that I guess."

Sakura came up to the Yamanaka flower shop and saw a Yamanaka at the counter but not Ino or one of her parents. So the pinkette then went to Ino's house directly since the two buildings weren't connected, not like Tenten's house and weapons hop.

She knocked on the door and Ino's mom answered. "Hi Sakura."

"Hi Mrs. Yamanaka, is Ino around?"

"Sorry Sakura, I think she's getting ready for a mission with her team. But I think she's got an hour before she has to be there so maybe you can see her if you're quick."

"I can be."

"Okay, she should still be up in her room getting ready."

Sakura went upstairs and knocked on the door she knew to be the entry to Ino's bedroom.

"Yes?" Ino asked from inside.

Rather than answer Sakura decided to open the door and walk in. When she did she saw Ino standing in just a towel looking over her clothes to put on. Her hair was wet from the shower she just took and down rather than in her usual ponytail.

"What the hell? Sakura?" Ino all but shouted in shock. "Couldn't you have warned me you were just going to barge in?"

"I knocked and you said you heard me. Besides, it's not like we haven't already seen each other in the hot springs." Sakura told the platinum blonde.

"Still, I expect to have privacy in my own room." Ino reprimanded. "Could you turn around please? What did you come here for anyway?"

Sakura looked away, and closed the door as she did. "I was mostly bored so I thought I'd see you for a bit to kill time."

"'Fraid to say tell you this but I can't stay long. I've got to meet Shika and Chouji and Asuma-sensei after I get dressed and equipped here."

Sakura heard a dresser drawer open and close and turned around by force of habit. In that moment she saw Ino completely naked. It was nothing new to her, but the angle of the mindwalker's body showed just how buxom she was compared to the pinkette. 'Why can't I have a chest like that? And even her butt looks better than mine.' Before Ino could see her she turned back away.

"So what's on your mind Sakura?" Ino asked as she began putting on her underwear.

"Not much. I had worried that I had been poisoned somehow on my last mission, but apparently that was just worrying about nothing. I guess I'm just feeling a little lonely since you haven't been around lately and Naruto's busy doing his own thing." She felt that gentle pulse in her head again but ignored it.

"Didn't you see Sasuke on that mission?" Ino asked, getting her skirt on.

Sakura felt a painful pulse. "Yeah I did."

"How much has he changed?"

"It's hard to say. I didn't see much and I don't want to compliment him because that would sound like him going to Orochimaru was a good thing. But I could tell he made no effort to get away. I think it's safe to say Sasuke's content with where he is." Her headache was aching up again and she tried to ignore it.

"Three years and you just now realize that Forehead?" Ino asked as she put her top on. "Didn't you say that you saw him try to leave and he admitted he was doing it? Have you been in denial all this time?"

Sakura groaned lightly and rubbed her temples in an effort to ignore her pain. "Maybe I was, but seeing him kind of forced me to face it. Sasuke-kun's happy as a criminal and apprentice to a monster."

"Then why do you still address him as kun?" Ino asked, starting to put the wrapping on her limbs. "I'm decent now by the way."

Sakura took a seat at Ino's vanity mirror, finding it harder to stand up without wanting to throw up right now. "It must be force of habit. I mean, I did care about who Sasuke-ku.. Sasuke used to be..." She had to pause for a moment in an effort to relieve the ache.

"You okay?" Ino asked.

"Get me some aspirin."

Ino nodded and disappeared into her personal bathroom to get some medicine. She handed Sakura two pills and some water to take it with, which the pinkette took eagerly. Ino tried a soothing medical jutsu to relieve the tension in her friend's head.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I must be having a migraine or something. Can I lay down for a bit?"

"Sure. Can you stand up?" Ino asked.

Sakura slowly got to her feet. "Long enough I guess." With Ino to help her, she made it to the mindwalker's bed and laid down. All of a sudden all she wanted to do was sleep. "Mind if I take a nap?"

"Sure. I'll let my mom know before I go. Just try to not vomit outside the bathroom." Ino said.

Sakura nodded as she passed out.

* * *

After a while Sakura woke up, and saw Ino was gone. Not only that, but her headache was completely gone.

"Wow that helped. Maybe my problem is simply exhaustion. It is hard to get enough sleep when you work as a medic and shinobi."

She got out of bed and went downstairs where she saw Ino's mom watching tv on the couch. "Hello Sakura, are you feeling any better? Ino told me you were resting in her room for a bit and shouldn't be disturbed."

"I'm alright, but I'm still a little tired. I think I'll just go home while I can and rest there so I won't intrude here anymore." Sakura said to the older woman.

Mrs. Yamanaka nodded. "Take care then dear."

Sakura left and slowly walked home, once outside she saw that the sun was close to setting and the streetlights were already turning on in anticipation of night. "Wow, I was really out of it. I probably won't be able to sleep at all tonight unless I pass out again." As she walked she found herself feeling a bit more energetic then she had before. "You know, there's no reason I _have_ to go home right away, but I should stick close in case I do feel like passing out again. So where should I go?"

An idea quickly came to her. "I never did see Naruto earlier, maybe I should stop by his place and say hi and see how his new training's going. Maybe even get some dinner while I'm at it. I'm so hungry right now even ramen sounds good." She headed in the direction she remembered his apartment was in thanks to Kakashi once insisting the genin of Team Seven all know where the others lived for more convenient access to each other if they ever needed it. Oddly enough Kakashi never showed them his house, probably as a way to ensure Naruto and Sakura would never try to find him before he had a chance to get lost on the road to life.

As Sakura walked she now had a bit more of a spring to her step that she was unaware of and she felt an increasingly state of euphoria. Then all of a sudden, she blacked out.

* * *

Naruto was home cooking an actual meal for once. Training with Yamato and Asuma in wind manipulation with lots of clones had taken a lot out of him and even he knew he needed more than ramen to get his energy back. Of course hearing his two instructors point that out to him triggered a sense of token denial but he did see their point.

For tonight he was cooking some seasoned chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, simple and quick he figured since he didn't want to spend too long at the stove tonight. "Looks about done." He said as he cut open the chicken and saw no pink left inside. The potatoes were already done so the chicken was the last part to check.

He had just set down his plate on his table when he heard a knock at his door. "Who could that be?" He asked himself before going to the door. He opened it and was quite surprised. "Sakura-chan?"

"Hello Naruto-kun."


	2. The Unexpected

**Chapter 2: The Unexpected**

"What are you doing here? You've never come by my place before. Heck I wasn't even sure you knew where I lived." Naruto asked, perplexed by his teammate's uncharacteristic appearance. Never mind her use of the 'kun' suffix, her appearance was the weirder part to him.

"There's a first time for everything Naruto-kun." She simply told him.

"That's another thing, why are you calling me kun? You've never called anyone but Sasuke that before as far as I know." Naruto added.

Sakura just smiled. "Maybe you deserve it more than he does."

Now Naruto was suspicious. "Alright, who are you really? The Sakura I know would never say that."

"The Sakura from three years ago, yes. The Sakura that's right in front of you on the other hand would."

"And why would she do that?" Naruto asked, still suspicious.

"People change Naruto-kun. You're not the only one who grew up all this time you know." She told him.

"So what changed with you?" Naruto pressed.

Sakura looked a little pouty right then. "Naruto-kun, am I bothering you right now?"

"What? No. I'm just confused."

"I'll gladly explain, but can I come in first? It's a long story."

Naruto nodded. "Sure. I was about to make dinner, would you like some?"

"Absolutely. I haven't eaten all day. What are we having?" Sakura asked enthusiastically.

"I was going to have ramen, but if you're here I could make something different."

"That's good. Would you like me to help?" She offered.

"Oh you're a guest. Even I know guests shouldn't have to help." He told her as he went back into the kitchen.

Sakura looked around and saw his front room could use a little tidying up. It wasn't a pigsty, just some pieces of trash left behind and some things out of order. Not wanting to risk disturbing his personal stuff she settled for picking up the trash and taking it to his kitchen where she assumed the garbage can was.

She was right, but when she got there Naruto looked a bit sheepish. "Sorry, all I've got on me is ramen and frozen dinners."

"That's okay." She said as she threw away the trash. "If you want I can order us something."

"You don't have to." He insisted.

Sakura shook her head. "No, but I want to if you want. Friends do this all the time Naruto-kun. Sometimes Ino buys me food we share and sometimes I do the same for her. Why can't I do the same for you?"

"Because I'm not sure when I can repay you." He said, using the first excuse that came to mind.

'Probably thinks he has to do more for me.' She thought, pleased by his generosity. "Did I ask to be repaid?"

"But-"

"It's okay Naruto-kun. Consider it something I owe you for all the good things you've done for me over the years. And if you feel you must repay me, you don't have to do it right away or even with money." She told him.

Naruto looked confused. "How else could I then?"

She waved his question off. "Oh don't worry about that right now. Let's just get something to eat. How about some Chinese? I know a good place that delivers."

Naruto shrugged. "Sure. Could I get some fried rice and sweet-and-sour chicken?"

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Do you have a phone?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I never had anyone to talk to. Not anyone who wanted to talk back without yelling that is."

Feeling a bit guilty, Sakura came up to Naruto and gently put her arms around him. He tensed, which she noticed, but it didn't last long. "Naruto-kun, I want you to know I'm sorry I was one of those people. I think when I was younger I took your friendship for granted. That was wrong, friendship is too valuable to take advantage of and shinobi like us have an even harder time finding someone we can truly trust. I want to be the kind of friend I should have been from the start. I want you to trust me again."

"I do Sakura-chan." He told her.

"No Naruto-kun, I mean _really_ trust me. I know you'll keep me safe and be good to me, but on some level of your mind you can't return the gesture because of my past behavior. You want to trust me, but a part of you can't help not trusting me because of what I've done. I mean, if I were to hold a kunai to your neck, what would you do?"

"I'd defend myself." He answered.

Sakura nodded. "I know, but if the roles were reversed I'd know it would be a trick, a genjutsu. I trust you enough to know that there's no way you'd ever try to hurt me like that. Can you say the same for me? That's what I mean by trusting each other Naruto-kun."

"How can you trust me Sakura-chan?" He asked. "I hurt you on our last mission. Remember the-?"

"I remember Naruto-kun. I still have a scar from when your tail hit me." She said moving his hand to her side to feel where Naruto had hit her during his four-tailed state. "That wasn't you. That was Kyuubi's instincts controlling you. Had it been you, you never would have swung your tail at me."

"I still feel like it was my fault." He said, sounding like he expected punishment.

Sakura surprised him by leaning forward and planting a light kiss on his left cheek. "It wasn't."

He just looked at her shocked by what she just did. Never would he have foreseen that happening to him. "Sakura-chan...?"

She pulled away. "If you don't have a phone I should probably go use a payphone to place the order. Be right back." She said as she left the room, teasing him by acting like she hadn't done what she just did.

Naruto just stood there, his mind on a sort of disbelieving lockdown.

* * *

Sakura came back after fifteen minutes, needing some time to find a phone, place the order, and confirm the address. When she got back she saw Naruto right where she left him. "Wow, I think I broke him."

Thinking of how to snap him out of this, she came up to him again and waved her hand in his face. "Naruto-kun?"

He snapped back. "Sakura-chan? Did you really just-?"

"You mean this?" She asked before giving him another kiss, this time on the lips. Again he was too shocked to respond, but she made this kiss longer then the other one, and more passionate too. Almost like a wife greeting her husband kind of kiss.

She let go and Naruto again was stunned silent, but this time he wasn't catatonic. "Sakura-chan, what's gotten into you?"

"I was giving you what you always wanted, wasn't I?" She simply answered.

"But why do you want it now? Why me and not Sasuke? And what about if you see Sasuke again?" He asked.

Sakura surprised him by not looking bothered by his questions. "Naruto-kun, Sasuke is always going to be important to me. But I'm not important to him. I offered my heart to him and he tossed it aside, like I did to you when we were kids. When you were gone, I realized I missed you more than I missed him, I worried about you more than Sasuke. I even wanted you back more than I wanted Sasuke back. It just didn't sink in right away, and on our mission to find Sasori's spy, I realized that if I had to choose between coming back with you or coming back with Sasuke, I'm happier with you being around me."

"So if Sasuke came back, you wouldn't break up with me to go after him?" Naruto nervously asked.

Sakura shook her head. "Not anymore. And I'm willing to do anything to prove it to you Naruto-kun."

"So if I were to ask you out on a real date?" He tested.

Sakura's smile brightened. "Name the time and place and I'll be there."

"Really?" Naruto asked, not sure he had heard her right?

Sakura nodded. "Yes. Would you rather I date Lee? I mean, he's got a great heart and all but it would feel too much like I was really dating Gai-sensei instead. No thank you."

Naruto chuckled. "Can't blame you there." He then decided to change the subject. "So what were you doing today?"

They chatted for a while waiting for their food to arrive, talking like old friends. Naruto was glad to have a conversation with Sakura where she didn't hit him or tell him to shut up. To test her he called Tsunade an old drunk and to his surprise the pinkette just offhandedly agreed with him.

In no time the food arrived and Naruto paid with Sakura chipping in despite his insistence he cover the whole cost. They sat at his table and began to eat. Sakura felt this was a good time to bring up something she had been thinking about. "Naruto-kun, I was wondering something. Why do you want to date me? I mean, why me? Why not a girl who treated you right from the beginning? What made me so special?"

"You talked to me." He answered.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "And?"

Naruto looked more confused than she did. "And what?"

"That's it? Simple as that? Your entire desire to be with me started for no reason other than I at least spoke to you?"

"Sakura-chan, when you're ignored, you take _any_ kind of attention as a good kind."

"But was the negative attention really worth the feeling of not being ignored?" Sakura asked.

Naruto ingested a piece of chicken before responding. "At the time, yes."

"And is that still the main reason you're interested in me?" Sakura added.

Naruto swallowed before answering. "Well you're not the only person who talks to me anymore, but I've never really seen any reason to stop trying."

Sakura carefully put down her chopsticks. "Naruto-kun, can I give you a little opinion on this?" He looked cautious but didn't stop her, nor did he stop eating. "I'm not a therapist, my specialty in diagnosing is for the body, not the mind, but I was taught some things about how people think for when a patient isn't just sick or hurt. You following me?" He nodded and she continued. "I don't think your mind is sick per say, but a bit malnourished."

"Malnourished?" He repeated like he had heard wrong. "You meant I didn't get enough brain food growing up?"

The pinkette shook her head. "No, what I mean is you haven't had all the right interactions and information to make proper choices. Like a body deprived of nutrients, a mind deprived of knowledge is not healthy and can't perform as well as one given what it needs."

Naruto lightly frowned. "So you're saying I'm stupid?"

"No, you're a victim of circumstance Naruto-kun. You didn't have the same upbringing the rest of us had so you didn't learn the same things we did. And because of that, you don't make the same decisions I might make or for the same reasons I would if you do. Normally this is not bad at all; what makes it bad is that you tend to use the simplest reasons for your choices. Like your pranks, you did it simply to get attention. Sure it involved some skills you put to work as a ninja and it showed your talents like traps, infiltration, and deception, but you weren't doing pranks for that. Instead you simply wanted to be noticed, nothing more nothing less."

"What's your point Sakura-chan?"

"My point Naruto-kun is that if having someone to talk to is the only reason for asking me out, then you don't really want a relationship with me, or anyone for that matter. What you really want is just pleasant company, not love."

Naruto looked bothered, maybe a bit offended. "So you're saying there's no chance of us being together? I'm just fooling myself and you're just humoring me?"

Sakura looked surprised he said that and waved her hand and head negatively. "No Naruto-kun, I'm not saying that at all. There is a chance we can become boyfriend-girlfriend later on. But right now as you are it wouldn't work. Because you don't know what you want in a girlfriend."

"I'm pretty sure I know what I want." Naruto replied.

"Naruto-kun, you said your only real reason for pursuing me was because I talked back. If any other girl instead of me had talked to you back in the academy, you'd be asking her out instead, not me. Am I wrong?"

The whiskered blonde wanted to refuse her claim, to say she alone had his eyes, but deep down he knew that was a lie. If any girl had been kind enough or brave enough to say anything more to him then an insult, then he probably would have fixated on that girl instead.

"So what? This doesn't change anything." Naruto complained.

"Actually Naruto-kun, it can change things if you act on it. Since the only priority you have in having a girlfriend is finding someone who talks to you without insulting you left and right, you haven't bothered asking yourself what else you'd like in a girlfriend. For all we know there might be a girl out there that would make you happier than I could."

Naruto shrugged and ate some rice. "Maybe, but I'll take what I can get."

Sakura shook her head. "Naruto-kun, I'm flattered you think I'm worth it, but love isn't something you should settle on. If you're going to find a girlfriend, find one that really makes you happy, not one that just keeps you from being alone."

"How would I know who's who then?" Naruto asked.

Sakura ate some more of her dinner before answering. "I have an idea. It's a weird one but please hear me out. Okay?" He needed. "I could teach you about the different types of women and what they want from men, but you're not likely to listen or grasp the message because that's not how you learn best. The best way for you to learn what kind of girl you would be happiest with... is to date more than one."


	3. The Confusion

**Chapter 3: The Confusion**

Maybe there were some men out there in the world that would be excited by what Sakura just offered to Naruto, and maybe there were men that would also be surprised as hell that a girl would actually suggest such a thing. Naruto in this case was the latter.

"Date more than one girl? Is that even legal?"

"It's not the most socially accepted thing in the world but it's not actually illegal Naruto-kun. Marrying more than one girl, _that's_ illegal in all but one circumstance, but it's different for dating."

"If it's not accepted then it's still a bad thing." Naruto commented.

"Umm Naruto-kun, by that logic _you're_ a bad person." Sakura told him, trying to spare his feelings.

"What'" He said in shock, not expecting that response.

"I mean no offense Naruto-kun, but think about it. You're still struggling to be accepted, and you said anything not already accepted is a bad thing. See what I mean?"

Naruto grumbled. "Fine, but still this doesn't feel right. Why would you even suggest such a thing?"

"Because you don't know what you want in a girlfriend. You want me because of a stupid reason, and beyond that reason you have no other criteria to reinforce your choice. You didn't have just one reason to want to become Hokage now did you?"

Naruto shrugged. "At first, yeah I did. Being recognized was all I wanted, and that was it. When it came to the other things involving being Hokage I didn't know or really care, all I knew was the hokage was respected and I figured if I become hokage I'd get the same treatment. It wasn't until I got older that I began to understand what it really meant to be Hokage. So my reason changed, but..."

Sakura immediately sensed some negativity. "But what?"

Naruto instantly shook his head and dove into his food. "It's nothing."

"Naruto-kun, I'm a girl. I know full well that 'nothing' never means nothing. So what's the problem? Maybe I can help you."

Naruto was hesitant to answer but at the same time a part of him did want to get this off his chest. "Sometimes I wonder if that's really what I want. I mean, I say I want strength to protect my precious people, but how can I do that when I'm stuck in an office or meetings all day? The hokage helps assign missions but almost never gets to take any themselves, so how am I protecting anyone when I'm sitting in a desk all day? Maybe I'd be better off settling for being an Anbu or something."

Sakura was stunned silent by his words. 'Naruto is doubting his dream? That's not like him. But then again I did sometimes wonder why he wanted to be Hokage in the first place. It's likely the Sandaime put the idea in his head when he was younger and never properly told him what the hokage does all day. All part of some master plan to cement Naruto's loyalty to the village no matter what it did to him. But now that he has a better idea of what the job entails it's natural for him to have doubts.'

The pinkette cleared her throat. "Naruto-kun, I can't tell you what you should or shouldn't do. Didn't you ever ask Sandaime-sama or even Tsunade-shishou what all the hokage does?"

Naruto shook his head. "I never thought about it until my long trip. Before then all I knew was that people had to like the hokage and that was all I needed to know."

"Naruto-kun, people don't _have_ to like the hokage." Sakura corrected. "For the most part the hokage is supported, but there is no rule or force going around _making_ them like her. Even Tsunade-shishou has to deal with people that want her out of office and only tolerate her simply because she is in office."

That greatly surprised Naruto. "But-"

"No Naruto-kun, I'm sorry to tell you this but no matter who you are or what job you have, you cannot _make_ people like you. I'm not liked by everyone, Kakashi-sensei's not liked by everyone. Heck even Sasuke wasn't liked by everyone back when he was here. Everyone has enemies, you're not the only one."

"So, no matter what, I'll always have enemies?" He asked.

"_Everyone_ has enemies Naruto-kun. But everyone also has friends and allies. You have me, you have Kakashi-sensei, Tsunade-shishou, the Ichiraku's, Hinata, and more than I can probably name. You are liked too, not just hated. But becoming hokage will not make everyone your friend, and if that's the only reason you even want the job, then you'll only hurt yourself if you actually get it."

"So you think I should just give up." He said, sounding defeated.

"No Naruto-kun, I don't. Don't ever think that. I'm trying to say that you _can_ be hokage but you won't be happy being hokage if _that_ is the only reason you want it. If you want to be hokage, you should have more reasons for it, reasons that are more noble and less selfish."

Naruto looked confused. "Selfish? How am I being selfish? I told you I want to protect the people I care about."

"Like you said yourself, you don't have to be hokage to do that. If that was your true goal, you wouldn't be limiting yourself on how to do just that. But you've always been dead-set on being Hokage, even now that's still what you want. I know because when you thought I was arguing it you were crushed. You still want to be Hokage, but from what you said you aren't doing that to help others. You're after that because you think it will make all your problems go away. You want to help others, but you want to be hokage for yourself, not for your friends or for the village. That's selfish."

Naruto looked really offended and stop up, fists balled as if ready to hit something. "Here I thought you were actually trying to help me, but you're still trying to crush my spirit like always."

"What? No Naruto-kun I-"

"Shut up!" Naruto hissed in a tone she had never heard before. "You come in here, act like you're suddenly my best friend, and now you insult my dream and myself for even having it? Get out of my house."

Sakura stood up but came up to him rather than went for the door. "Naruto-kun, I'm not trying to hurt you."

"I said get out. I don't want to hear anything you have to say anymore." He said, turning away from her.

"Naruto-kun, please let me finish." She requested as she gently took his hand in hers, relieved he didn't immediately withdraw it.

"Why should I?"

"So you can learn why you should be hokage, instead of why you shouldn't. Or how else you can help others." She stated, not calming him but at least he wasn't fighting her. "You say you want to help people. Exactly how do you want to help them? Do you want to fight with them? Or do you want to run the government? Keep in mind the hokage isn't the _only_ respected person in the village."

"But they're the most respected." Naruto countered.

"Is that the only thing that matters to you Naruto? Being respected? You don't care what you do as long as people don't hate you for it?" Sakura asked.

"Is it wrong to want to be respected?" Naruto rhetorically asked.

"No, but would you respect a hokage who didn't know how to do the job? Tell me Naruto-kun, what exactly does the hokage do that you want to do too? What do they do that no other ninja does?"

"They get to lead the rest of the ninja in fights." Naruto pointed out.

"And how often does that happen?" Sakura added. "You've interacted with two hokages Naruto-kun, how often did they actually do that while they were in office?"

Naruto paused to think it over. The first incident that came to mind was the Oto-Suna invasion that killed the Sandaime, and then he remembered seeing Tsunade fight Orochimaru but he disregarded that as she hadn't been officially hokage at the time. Other than that, he couldn't remember another time he had actually seen the hokage work outside of the office.

"Only once I saw. Technically twice but I don't think the second time counted." Naruto grimly answered.

Sakura nodded. "That's right. Hokage's spend most of their time going over reports, managing the village's maintenance and legal issues, assigning missions, and stuff like that. They usually get a little time each day to train so they're in shape but they never get to take any missions themselves. Is that really what you want to do with your life?"

"Won't I still be protecting my precious people?" Naruto asked.

"In a way I guess. But not the way you're used to doing so. Naruto-kun, you'd basically be in charge of stationing such people where they're needed and telling them what they need to know. You'd be protecting them by guiding them, not fighting for them. Is that good enough for you?"

Naruto wasn't sure. "Maybe I should talk to Baa-chan about this instead." He then shook his head. "Wait, how did we get on this when you were saying I needed more than one girlfriend?"

Sakura had to mentally backtrack to answer that. "I was trying to show you how you need more than just one reason to want something that big. You wanted me as your girlfriend for one weak reason, and you wanted to be hokage for one weak reason as well. I tried to get you to realize that it doesn't work that way. So just like how you need to explore your options for what career you want instead of solely limiting yourself to only one option, you should try the same with girls. This way you can see what it is you want in a girlfriend besides just someone to talk to."

"Even so, what girl would agree to this? Girls hate it when boys see other girls." Naruto said.

"True, but that's mostly because the boy kept it a secret. Sure, being honest about it upfront is no guarantee she'll accept it or be a part of it, but at least she can't accuse you of lying. Besides, I know of one girl that will at least consider it."

"Yeah right, who?" Naruto challenged.

Sakura grinned. "Hinata." Naruto gave you a 'are you kidding me?' look. "I'm serious. If you asked her out she'd couldn't be paid to say no."

"You're kidding me right? Hinata? As in Hinata Hyuuga? The girl who could literally have anyone in the village? She would choose _me_ over everyone else?" Naruto said with much skepticism.

"Yes, because you're the one she wants. If you could be with her would you give her a chance?"

"I don't understand why-"

"I'm not asking you to understand, I'm asking you would you go out with her if the opportunity came up? Don't think about whether or not you're good enough for her, just ask yourself if she said yes would you say the same?"

Naruto sighed. "Sakura-chan, you've kind of worn me out tonight. I don't think I want to think about complicated stuff anymore."

Sakura nodded. "Alright. I'm sorry if I overloaded you Naruto-kun, but please believe me when I say I'm just trying to help you with all this. I just want you to be happy."

Naruto mock-laughed. "If you wanted that you wouldn't be drilling me like this." Despite his words his tone showed he wasn't upset.

Sakura smiled. "Sorry, but I was only doing this for your own good. And tomorrow if you want, I'll go talk to Hinata about this."

"You positive she'd actually want to date me?" Naruto asked, not sure what to think of the idea but he had to admit he didn't hate it.

Sakura's smile got a bit devious. "Leave it and me and I promise your only problem will be deciding which one of us to take out first."

* * *

Morning came and Sakura woke up feeling rather warm and comfortable. "Wow, I feel so much better." When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Naruto, still asleep.

"What the-? How did I?" She asked herself, only to remember she had stayed at his apartment last night. "Wait, all I happened? I thought I was just dreaming coming here and having dinner and... kissing him? It happened?"

Naruto started to stir, but it looked like he wasn't going to wake up right away. Cautious, Sakura quietly left the room, grateful that she was still dressed, having slept in her clothes and felt nothing to implicate she had done anything but sleep.

"What happened to me? One moment I'm out on the street, next thing I'm here practically asking Naruto to date me. I kissed him, called him 'kun', even told him about Hinata." Sakura asked herself, wondering what could be responsible for her behavior last night. It was so unlike her... yet it didn't feel wrong or forced.

"I need to go see Ino. I need answers." Sakura said before going to the door. As soon as she grabbed the knob, she hesitated. "The least I can do is leave him a note. I walk out on him like this, I'll break his heart."

One written note later and Sakura was outside, trying to find Ino and wondering what had happened to her last night.


End file.
